Kettlebell workouts have become a dominant force in the fitness world. Although kettlebells have been around for about 300 years, in the last decade, they have become both a foundation and an accessory to personal trainers. Their benefits range from increasing strength and endurance to increasing grip strength and range of motion. Complete workouts where only kettlebells are used can be found in most gyms and some fitness professionals have argued that kettlebell workouts can increase endurance and burn more calories than a treadmill workout.

Research has been done recently to show that in one 10-minute bout of treadmill running, it is superior to a kettlebell workout. The research that was done shows that while maintaining a slightly lower heart rate while treadmill running, oxygen consumption and calorie expenditure were significantly higher while running than a 10-minute kettlebell session that consists of kettlebell swings, which is a cornerstone of a traditional kettlebell workout.

Don’t let this hinder any chance you get to work with these easy-to-use tools to improve your fitness though. A well-rounded program is essential in challenging your overall fitness and preventing overuse injuries. Done properly, kettlebell workouts provide the variety in your routine that you will enjoy. Kettlebells are also used routinely in high intensity interval training (HITT) which have the potential to increase your resting metabolism and even lower insulin levels.

When embarking on a regimen when you start using new and unfamiliar equipment, you should seek guidance from a certified personal trainer and learn how to use this fitness accessory efficiently and safely. Keeping a variety of activities in your fitness program will keep your workouts fun and interesting and motivate you to break a sweat more often!